Army uniform easily available in city markets

Ludhiana: Recent terror attack on Army camp at Uri in J&K has again thrown spotlight at selling of Army uniforms in different local markets, near old city areas. Despite the orders of Police Commissioner, shopkeepers are selling the uniform without taking any record of customers.
Again it remains a challenge for the security establishment to stop the misuse of the much-coveted Army uniform has become the cause of concern among the security forces in the backdrop of Uri terror attack on Sunday morning.
Importantly, terrorist attack which held in Dinanagar where four terrorists wearing military fatigues had entered a police station in Dinanagar, which is Punjab’s Northernmost town and located just 10-km from the India-Pakistan Border.
“Tailors in the city stitch the entire ‘Army uniform’ on order even for civilians. What is guarantee that the fatigues would not be misused? This is now a major headache for authorities,” said a source.
The fabric that looks ‘almost similar’ to the Army fatigues is available in most cloth shops near railway station and old city areas.
While talking to one of the tailors near railway station told that a full ‘uniform’ for an average adult male, who needs around 5-metre for both shirt and trouser can be had for Rs.1,000. After adding the stitching charges, one can roam around the city as an Army man for less than Rs.1,500.
Retired Colonel Jagdish Singh Brar said, “This is very sad news that repeated terror attacks being held in India which is not good sign for coming relations of India and Pakistan. Moreover, the government is not taking this issue seriously as Army and other forces uniforms are easily available at different city markets which are major cause of concern for intelligence agencies.”
“Police department should take special steps to curb these illegal practices going rampant in the city as they should also direct tailors in city so that they should not stitch any forces uniform without taking any record” added Brar.
Residents claimed that intelligence agencies needed to keep a tab on shops selling the uniforms and the fabric.